Author Archives: Justin Colletti

If you ever find yourself saying: “It’s all so obvious. The other side is so stupid. All we need to do is (blank),” then you’re probably wrong. Consider instead saying: “This issue is almost certainly complex and nuanced, and there are probably no perfect solutions, only tradeoffs.” A wiser person than I might also say: […]

It’s something you earn. Throughout most of human history, it would have been unusual to say that some someone “is” a genius. You’d have been much more likely to think of a person as “having” a genius. This is not the way most of us understand it today. But a growing body of research suggests […]

“I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to make an ass of yourself.” -Oscar Wilde Recently, Phil Robertson of the reality TV show Duck Dynasty was suspended for making comments that many people, myself included, would consider quite silly and ignorant. Although his words were […]

There is no such thing as an “unbiased” person. There are only people who refuse to admit to their own biases (which allows the biases free reign to take over) and those who acknowledge their biases (which potentially offers some modicum of effortful control over them.) Some biases are baked right into our DNA. The […]

…And there are many art lovers who consider that a travesty. Personally, I always thought one of the things that makes graffiti uniquely interesting is that it is by its nature, impermanent, and that it exists outside the law. Are we supposed to protect graffiti by legal decree, or are we supposed to let it […]

There is an article in the New York Times today about how “Hipsters are Ruining Paris.” The author’s evidence for this are that there are now more bistros and fewer whorehouses, and that people are buying more vegetables and fewer cigarettes. My official response is: “OH MY GOD SHUT UP. JUST SHUT UP ALREADY WITH […]

Hello, fellow Scientists of Sound! Welcome to the November issue of Trust Me, I’m A Scientist — the music magazine for people who make music. In This Issue: How to Tell If You’re an Amateur Musician An Inconvenient Fee: The Legacy of Pearl Jam Vs. Ticketmaster Picking Your Plectrum: An Audio Comparison of Odd and […]